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The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Epistle of the Apostle sainct Paule to the Colossians,
The fyrst Chapiter.
Paule an Apostle of Iesu Christ, by the wyll of God and brother Timotheus. To al saintes, whiche are at Colossa and brethren, that beleue in Christ.
PAule an Ambassadour of Iesus Christ, and that not by any mans ordinaunce, but by the wyll of God the father, and Timothe, whom for perfite consent in preachyng the gospel I coumpt as my brother, to the dwellers at Colossa, whiche haue both a confidence in Iesus Christ, and also accordyng to his doctrine liue a holy life, nowe through like kynde of profession becomen our dearely beloued brethren.
Grace be vnto you and peace from God our father and the lorde Iesu Christ.
Grace and peace be there among you from God our father, that as ye are freely reconciled vnto him, ye may likewyse euen as brethren that haue one comen father, one towarde an other of you alwaye norishe mu∣tual vnitie and concorde.
We geue thankes to God the father of our lorde Iesus Christ alwayes for you in our praiers. For we haue heard of your fayth in Christ Iesu, and of the loue whiche ye beare to all saintes, for the hopes sake whiche is layd vppe in store for you in heauen, of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel, whiche is come vnto you•• euen as it is fruiteful (and groweth) as it is also among you, frō the day in the whiche ye heard of it, and had experience in the grace of God through the trueth, as ye lerned of Epaphra our deare felowe seruaunt, whiche is for you a faythful minister of Christ, whiche also declared vnto vs your loue whiche ye haue in the spirite.
And albeit it hath not yet hitherto been my chaunce to see you, yet in my continual praiers made to God, and the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both for your sakes I geue him thākes for his benefites bestowed vpon you, and desyre him also dayly to encrease the same his giftes, and also to preserue them, after y• by Epaphra we heard of your fayth, wherby my trust is, ye shalbe saued, not by helpe of Angels, but through the free boūteousnes of our Sauiour Anoynted, by whō it hath pleased God the father to geue vs al goodnes. For him both Annoynted would he haue to be called, because of him al shuld receiue helth, & Sauiour, because no mā should elswhere looke for saluacion. And by him not onely perceiued we & vnderstode your cōfidence in him, but also your charitie ioyned ther with, whiche as Christ gaue example, ye beare towarde good people, ear∣nestly mindyng to do for them, not for any hoope of auauntage, that ye thinke to receiue therby, but in hope of the euerlasting life, whiche ye wel